Rinse tank



May 21, 1940. J. D. TIERNEY RINSE TANK Filed Aug. 19, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v y 21, 19443- I J. D. TIERNEY 2,201,380

RINSE TANK Filed Aug. 19, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 21, 1940 RINSE TANK John D. Tierney, Meriden, Coma, assignor of one-half to Raymond J. Tierney, Merlden,

Conn.

Application August '19,

' 7 Claims.

projected againstthe articles that are suspended 5 therein.

The object of the invention is the provision of a compact and relatively inexpensive tank of the class mentioned which is convenient to 'manipulate and which has-spraying means so arranged and functioning that the articles subject thereto may be thoroughly and efliciently cleaned very quickly with a minimum supply of cleaning liquid, the spraying means being adjustable and controlled so that the direction, volume and force of the sprays may be varied, depending upon the spraying medium used, and according to the character and composition of the articles to be cleaned.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 shows a top view of a tank provided with pedal means for opening the spraying valve.

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on dotted line 3 -3 on Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on dotted line 4-4 on Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a spray head. Fig. 6 is a top view of a tank provided with manual means for opening the spraying valve.

Fig. 7 shows a side elevation of the manual operated means raised.

Fig, 8. on larger scale is a similar view with the manual operated means closed. I

Fig. 9 shows a top view of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 8.

The tank I which is made of metal treated for protection against rust or corrosion and attack by the cleaning liquid, that may be water, or an acidulated or an alkaline solution, is preferably square or rectangular in horizontal section, and has a cover 2 with a circular or oval opening 3 to permit the introduction of the articles to be cleaned. A flange 4 of the same contour as the opening extends vertically downward into the interior from the edge of the opening to confine the spray within the tank, particularly whenthe liquid isejected under considerable pressure.

Entering the tank near one corner and extending vertically from the-top to. near the bottom is a header pipe 5 which is connected to the supply of the cleaning liquid. Connected to and opening from the header pipe at different elevations and passing horizontally around the inner walls of the tank are a number of branch pipes;

in the drawings three branch pipes 6, I, 8 are 1939, Serial No. 291,029

shown. Connected with these pipes at the corners of the tank are spray headers 9 which have nozzles ID that are universally adjustable and capable of being set so that the streams of spray ejected therefrom may be pointed in any desired 6 direction, preferably substantially horizontal in a vortex path.

Communicating .with and leading from the lower end of the vertical header pipe is a pipe II that extends horizontally near the bottom of the tank in the form of a spiral. There are a number of spray headers. l2 with adjustable no'zzles in the top of the spiral so that spray may be directed therefrom upward in a more or less vertical direction. A stop valve 23 is provided for controlling the flow of liquid to the spiral. The cleaning liquid may be supplied from any convenient source which has sufiicient pressure to produce the required force and volume of spray. Two mechanisms are illustrated for ad- 20 mitting cleaning liquid to the pipes in the tank, either of which as desired may be employed. In the arrangement first shown there is a spring closed valve M in the supply pipe l5, with a shut-on valve l6 ahead of the spring closedvalve,

the'valve l4 being indicated as fastened to a bracket l1 attached to the side wall of the tank. Pivoted to the side of the tank is a pedal lever i8 which is connected by a link l9 to a bell-crank lever 20. Extending from the bell-crank is a rod 2! so supported and guided that when the pedal is depressed the rod will engage the stem 22 of the valve l4 and cause it to open. When the pedal is freed the valve is quickly closed by its spring. The second, or manually operated mechanism, has thevalve 24 which supplies liquid to'the spraying nozzles mounted on the supply pipe above the top of the tank. Attached to this valve is a bracket 25 pivotally connected to which by an adjustable pivot is an arm 26 that 0 extends to a point above the center of the opening into the tank. Springs 21 are connected between the bracket'and a stud 28 that extends from a lug 29 that projects from the arm in such a manner as to normally hold the arm lifted, as 45 shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The outerend of the arm is provided with a handle 30 by which the arm may be drawn down against the pull of the springs. This handle may be screwed into the end of the arm in either of two different posi- 5o tions. On the inner or pivoted end of the arm is a cam 3| which is designed to contact with the end of the valve stem 32. The valve is spring closed and when the arm is raised the cam is turned to such a position that the valve will shut and when the arm is drawn down the cam acts to open thevalve.

A stud 33 is rotatably mounted in the end of the arm and secured to this stud is a circular lid 34 which conforms to. the opening through the flange that depends from the cover down into the tank. The upper end of the stud 33 to which the lid is attached has a handle 35 by means of which the lid may be rotated or turned back and forth. On the inside of the lid are bars 36 and links 31 which provide means whereby articles to be cleaned may be hung from the lid.

In using the tank illustrated it is desirable that the spray nozzles of the upper, horizontal branch pipe 6 and lower horizontal pipe 8 be turned and set so that the sprays will be ejected therefrom angularly with relation to the vertical axis of the tank and assume a general counterclockwise circular or vortex travel, and that the spray nozzles of the middle horizontal branch pipe 1 be, turned and-set so that the sprays will assume a general circular or vortex travel in the opposite direction. As a consequence of such adjustment of the spray heads when in one case the pedal is pressed down, and in the othercase when the handle is pulled down, and the cleaning liquid is allowed to enter, the sprays ejected in the opposite directions will mingle and more. or less interfere with each other. At the same time the sprays ejected upwardly from the spiral pipe below will cause further interference with the result that very strong swirling eddycurre'nts in diverse directions are produced and such articles as are submitted thereto are thoroughly and efficiently cleaned on all surfaces. The horizon: tally projected sprayspreventtheescapeof the upwardly projected sprays through the opening in the cover, if no lid is provided, and the flange around the opening in the cover prevents-the escape of spray which rises around the side walls of the tank, so that the surroundings are kept dry and clean. Liquid which reaches the'bottom of the tank is allowed to escape through an outlet 38 that may be connected to a drain if water is used, or to a return system if the liquid is an alkaline or acidulated solution. 1

When there is no lid the racks or baskets with the articles are lowered into the tank and may be held and swashed by hand for the required period, which is relatively short owing to the activities of the spray currents. If a lid is provided the baskets or racks may be hung from the inside of the lid and when the lid is lowered into the tank the fluid supply valve is opened and the articles subjected to the spraying action untilthe lid is allowed to rise and lift out the articles and close the fluid supply valve. When the lid is closed it may be rotated so that all the articles carried thereby will be subjected to equal treatment and thoroughly washed. The supply valves may be adjusted so as to produce high velocity small volume sprays or produce low velocity large volume sprays as desired for the particular articles to be cleaned.

The invention claimed is:

1. A rinse tank for industrial use having a cover with a central opening and a fiange'depending from the cover about the opening, a

header pipe extending vertically from the top to near the bottom in the tank near one wall, branch pipes extending from the header pipe horizontally at different levels around the inside of the tank, spray heads connected to said branch tank, spray heads connected to said spiral pipe, a liquid supply pipe connected to the upper end of the header pipe, 2. spring closed valve for controlling the flow of liquid Iromthe supply pipe to the header pipe, and pedal means for opening said valve and permitting a flow of liquid to said header pipe.

. 2. A rinse tank for industrial use having a cover with a central opening and a flange depending from the cover about the opening, a. removable lid for said opening, means for supporting articles to be cleaned from said lid, a header pipe extending vertically in the tank from top to bottom near one wall, branch pipes extending from the header pipe horizontally at different levels around the inside of the tank, spray heads connected to said branch pipe, said spray heads having adjustable nozzles adapted to be set to eject sprays in diiferent angular directions with relation to the axis of the tank,'a pipe extending spirally from the lower end of the header pipe nearthe bottom of the tank, spray heads connected to said spiral pipe, said latter spray heads having adjustable nozzles adapted to be set to eject sprays in different vertical angles, a liquid supply pipe connected to the upper end of the header pipe, and a selfeclosing valve for controlling the flow of liquid from the supply pipe to said header pipe.

3. A rinse tank for industrial use having a cover with a central opening and a flange depending from the cover about the'opening, a header pipe extending vertically in the tank near one wall,

branch pipes extending from theheader pipe horizontally at diiferent levels around the inside of the tank, spray heads connected to said branch pipes and having at one level nozzles positioned to project spray in one angular direction with relation to the axis of the tank and at another level having nozzles positioned to project spray in an opposing direction, a pipe with spray heads extending spirally from the header pipe near the bottom of the tank, a liquid supply pipe connected to the header pipe, and a selfclosing valve for controlling the flow of liquid from the supply pipe.

4. A rinse tank for industrial use having a cover with a central opening and a flange depending from the cover about the opening, a header pipe extending vertically in the tank near one wall, branch pipes with spray heads extending from the header pipe horizontally at different levels around the inside of the tank, a pipe with spray heads extending spirally from the header pipe near the'bottom of the tank, a liquid supply pipe connected to the header pipe, a self-closing valve for controlling the flow of liquid from the header pipe, a swinging arm pivotally mounted above the cover, and means connecting said arm with said valve and adapted to open the valve when the arm is moved to one position, and allow the valve to close when the arm is in another position.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 4 characterized by having a spring connection between the arm and the supply pipe and normally holding I the arm raised.

6. The apparatus recited in claim 4 characterized by having a lid rotatably mounted on the arm and carrying means for supporting articles in the sprays;

7. In a rinse tank for industrial use stationary means extending around the interior of the tank for at one level causing a vortex new of spray of cleaning liquid circumferentially of the tank in one direction, stationary means extending of cleaning liquid axially of the tank into said around the interior of the tank for at another vortex flowing sprays, and means for supplying level causing a vortex flow of spray of cleaning a flow of cleaning liquid to said spraying means liquid circumferentially of the tank in an opposimultaneously and causing a violent cumminsite direction, stationary means in the tank near gling of the several sprays.

the bottom for causing an upward flow of spray v JOHN D. TJERNEY. 

